#[continues drawing Celia]

[spooksier]

sam and his two bisexual girlfriends

[fantastic-mr-corvid]

my boy... i forgot my boy... its been so long since i drew Cecio...

[autismprotocol]

TMAGP Theory Board ( EP 10)

Hi guys sorry for the late post I ended up drawing a lot for this update especially because it's the last one before the hiatus so wanted to give it a little more pizazz :D

What Happened in Episode 10: Saturday Night

Interview with Nigel Dickerson. The inccident report this week was all about Mr Bonzo. If you remember from last episode Nigel is the famous tv personality who created the character of Mr Bonzo. During this interview he recounts the rise and fall of Bonzo while being ominous and on edge the whole time. what I gathered from the interveiw is that Bonzo is either trapping Nigel or Bonzo and Nigel are linked somehow. (when he say "he won't let me leave" and refers to himself as "us") we also learn about the murders that are connected to the Bonzo suit, first by the serial killer Terrance Menki and very recently 3 unsolved murders. Nigel also mentioned that the actors who wore the Bonzo suit would be prone to injuries on set which is also really stange. Could be they were used as Bonzo's victims near his begining

Gwen meets Mr Bonzo. The other section of the episode dealing with Bonzo is when Gwen goes to Nigel's house on her first assignment as the Externals Liason. So turns out Bonzo is maybe a hitman for the OIAR! Also, big thing Mr Bonzo is atually alive and is introduced with some kind of practice almost resembling a ritual. I heard somone mention they think Bonzo is an avatar of the Stranger and I can definitely see this. I'd love to hear if anyone else has a theory for what entity Bonzo may be connected to.

The Return of Colin. Colin isn't dead!! Shocking absolutley everyone Colin is still kicking. a few episodes ago he was sent on mental health leave by Lena after his parnoia caused him to mentally snap. Celia sees him while on break and they have a short convorsation. Colin tells Celia that he need to figure out the computers. also big thing Colin is back without the permission of Lena. It will be interesting to see what hes looking for and if he'll continue to sneak behind Lena's back.

Sam and Alice's Adventures into the Institute. Probaly the biggest development lore-wise was Sams and Alice investigating the ruins of the Magnus Institute. They don't find much (but I'm still am gonna talk about it for awhile) Alice mentions that there were weird carvings in the floor which she later equates to the worms on the ground. If you are a Archives listener hearing about worms in the archives starts seting off all kinds of alarms. This means in this universe the Jane Prentiss attack still happens, which is especcially iteresting because If I'm not mistaken in TMA the worm attack happened spesiffically to mark Jon with the corruption. Was Jon ever part of the institute? or if not Jon there must have been an archivist role in this Magnus Institute that would require Jane to attack it.

ERROR and the Tape Recorders so far in protocol we have been listening to the characters through either the computers or though their phones. But during the last few minutes we here the click of a tape recorder. and TMA fans around the world rejoiced. The magnus archives is entirley told through tape recordings and are a tool used by the web (spesifically the avatar Annabelle Cane) does this mean Annabelle made it to this universe? or it could also signal the presense of Jon (since the tape recorders are linked to him) Alice and Sam investigate the archivist office looking for a place for the key when the floor collapes and Sam drops the key. After some Sam and Alice banter, they leave but the recorder stays running we then hear the scraping sound and some shutterd breathing. This is when I highly suggest going through the transcript after listening to an episode becuase they specifically what were hearing and who is breathing.

I included the snippet from the transcript that pinpoints every not verbal sound we hear

water from the pit under the archives is disturbed

thud on wood then a rattle of a padlock

Key being dragged across the wood then fumbled into a lock that clicks open

trapdoor opens and ERROR imerges

ERROR takes 3 breaths

ERROR has been used before for redacting the roles played by Johnny, Alex and Tim (aka the voices of FR3-d1) during the cast anouncements for protocol. This makes me think that ERROR must be someone from the Archives universe my running theory is that it is a entity that houses Jon, Martin and Jonah's souls or consiounous. but It could literally be anyone. I'm also thinking ERROR has been locked in the tunnels under the archives (Mentioned in TMA)

And thats about Everything! plese let me know your thoughts or if you wanna correct me on any mistakes :)

Also I would love to know if you guys would prefer this style of post where I illustrate moments and scenes from each episode? it would probably delay when I'm able to post the breakdowns but I'd love to know if you guys perfer that format over the less illustrated one.

[wildgeese98]

I'm sorry but at this point how can anyone honestly think "Chester" is trying to warn Sam away from the Magnus Institute? The red canary case did seen like a warning on a surface level but it was also the thing that got him looking into the institute in the first place. I think someone or something knew enough about Sam to know he would immediately start looking into the Magnus Institute if it just happened to come up on his first day working in the creepy story mines.

It also, for the record, knew enough about Gwen to send her exactly the piece of info she needed so go after Lena. And knew enough about Lena to send the exact thing that would get her to promote Gwen.

It knew Colin was the only person who knew they are being listened to. It knew enough about Colin to know that he was the one person who might know enough about the program to pose a threat. And it knew how to push his buttons to drive him to the point where he would be forced to leave.

It even seemed to know which voice would unnerve Celia the most. And possibly gave a statement connected to her background/ origins in this universe. This probably made her more open to looking into things with Sam, further egging on his search.

Something is continuing to feed Sam tidbits about the Institute. It's stringing him along and pulling him in. When he was ready to give it up, here comes "Chester" unprompted with a new Magnus institute related case. And now guess who's GOING TO THE DAMN BURNED DOWN RUINS!? these are not warnings, they are deliberate bread crumbs leading Sam exactly where someone wants him to be.

Meanwhile everyone else is being fucked with to some degree, with the exception of Alice. Although her "I do not see it" powers might make her immune.

None of this is an accident! Strings are being pulled! We just don't know why or by who. Are the Archives Boys really in the computer and trying to lead Sam to the Institute for some unknown reason? Is there perhaps some other, possibly malevolent force that's stolen their voices and memories and is using them to draw Sam in for its own unsavory purposes? Only time will tell!

All I know is, the only one trying to warn Sam about anything is Alice and he has for the most part not been listening.

[marigoldbaker]

making a list of good things that happened this year because there's too many and i need them recorded for posterity

visited bonus mom in england and it rewired my entire brain chemistry. i did not blog about it a lot i don't think and i don't talk about it often because it was such a joyful celia is fully present experience, but i will say that when i first arrived at the airport i was so fucking nervous and i was all kinds of shaky and fucked up and terrified that this six year long relationship would fall apart when we tried to translate it to irl and then i saw them there with a sign for me that is now on my wall in my apartment and something in my heart snapped into place and i literally physically flung myself at them and tripped over my suitcase and my knees gave out and i ended up dragging them down to the floor and we hugged for like at least ten minutes (conservative estimate probably). true story

jess is an entire bullet point on this list. funny sweet important passionate talented dedicated hardworking academically iconic definitely needs to take more naps keeps me apprised on extensive sims lore is coming out to visit in february is incisively thoughtful and we've made up beef for our dnd characters together. i love you a lot jess. i would say more things but i bet even these things are going to make you hide under a pillow. so.

so many other friends! like??? insane???? quite a few irl friends which is so cool! particular love for hal and silvain and rj (calendiles dnd crew i love you i'm so glad me putting down jenny has not meant putting down our friendships bc you're all such marvelous people) and gabby and silvain (silvain gets a double mention for Reading Literally All Of My 200K Word Fic reasons. erudite, and immensely appreciated)

and the new bg3 friends i'm beginning to associate with who i don't wanna name by name bc i'm shy and i care overly but PLEASEEE know if we've texted more than once about bg3 i probably adore you greatly and admire your creativity and thoughtful opinions and am trying to play it cool but im bad at it. yes this is about you. i deeply hope we will continue talking. probably about jaheira bc im obsessed with that woman.

being part of like 2 different dnd campaigns this year right around the time i started playing bg3 for the first time was REALLY fucking cool.

ACTUALLY ON THAT SUBJECT THE WHOLE BG3 THING WAS REALLY FUCKING COOL. it feels really special to not like....idk, this year is the first year of my life i have not been labeling myself as That Jenny Calendar Girl! i don't feel like i'm That Jenny Calendar Girl. i am celia :) i like a lot of different things! i like video games, i like bookmaking, i like drawing, i like cooking and food, i like fashion, i like writing, i like little calico critters <3 ironically my url is still the same but i think i am going to keep it that way for a little while, because i like remembering what brought me to this blog in the first place.

fell in love with my neighborhood! it was always bound to happen, but the moving-in process was rough, and it took me a while to connect with the place. now i know what drink i like to order at the local cafes, i know where i want to go for coffee and for pizza, i know about farmers' markets and local events, i know that There Is A Fucking Swimming Pool Across From My House. i do not think i can ever leave.

started to FINALLY feel comfortable in my job! i still don't totally know what i'm doing, but i don't feel like i'm sleepwalking through work while badly dissociating, and i really love the work that i do + the position i fill. i'm so hopeful that i can continue to work with teens. being a teen librarian is oft a difficult position to find

learned how to cook! did not do it often this year but oh well. i was busy.

went to the chicago art institute for the first time ever and got to see a sunday afternoon on the island of la grande jatte by georges seurat which was really insanely meaningful because sunday in the park with george is one of my dad's favorite musicals, and he went and saw that painting a long long time ago, and he also went and saw the monet paintings, and we texted a bunch about it

kept connected with my dad and my brother, and am starting to realize that having my own adult life means i fit a lot easier into theirs.

was briefly and meaningfully reunited with the actual love of my life (the pacific ocean)

VISITED A ROCK BEACH IN ENGLAND. if no one else got me i KNOW rock beach got me. everyone i have talked to is like "no, beaches need to be sandy" but i don't think they understand the sensory experience of sitting among 10000000000 rocks and picking them up and playing with them and finding a piece of rock chalk and drawing faces on the rocks and leaving all the rock faces for someone else to find and hopefully be unnerved by and then having your bonus mom's partner be like "celia are you just abandoning your children there" and reconsidering a lot of life choices but not enough to take the rock faces

i love you lake michigan im sorry i spent 80 percent of this year being mad at you for not being the pacific ocean im done having emotional problems i promise

went and saw wicked 3 different times

went on a couple of really meaningful and sweet dates and even if they didn't go anywhere i think the fact that i'm capable of feeling like that about another person is super awesome to know, and makes me so excited to keep on trying with that

went on a bunch of REALLY wonderful friend-dates and made new friends :) who i have been hanging out with on and off when our schedules allow for the last few months, and who invite me to parties and things!

received some really incredible and personal holiday gifts from a couple of friends, making me subsequently realize that maybe i'm not impossible to give gifts to

drew an entire wall of art for above my bed

bought a four piece microwave safe dish set in colors i love that remind me of marigold. for $10. will absolutely never let anyone forget that or change my blog title (which is a reference to the fact that i went insane that day to the extent that a woman leaving the shop saw me sitting outside with my cardboard box of dishes and went "are you still enjoying your dish set?" and i did not know who she was bc i blacked out and told everyone in the store about how much i loved the dish set. apparently)

i cannot even talk about marigold without getting so unwell and feeling in my chest just this indescribable feeling. i spent like eight years unwaveringly obsessed with a minor character from a 90s tv show who i really was just making into my own original character, but she never could feel fully mine, and the experience of creating my own girl from scratch (baking her, lol) when i was regularly dissociating and vaguely suicidal and having her be the thing that made me figure out how to connect with things and be happy again has been probably one of the best things i have ever experienced. to know unequivocally that the thing that makes me feel strong and centered is something i made for myself out of all the complicated insecurities and worries i feel. she brings me so much joy. i don't think i'm ever going to put her down. that 90s girl was not my baby, and that 90s video game woman, as beloved as she is, may not be around in my heart forever (though i strongly suspect it's going to be another decade, lol) but marigold? that's always. i love her. she's the girl i made for me

[anthroposeen]

tmagp 18 relisten notes

as usual, tma and tmagp spoilers below cut! sorry this one is so late!

celia:

- she was unable to go into work because of a "childcare emergency" but when we see her perspective we know that georgie was watching jack. on top of that, we learn that celia lied about why she left the house- i think its safe to assume it was related to her teleporting/sleep walking and its becoming a more frequent issue

sam:

- hes uncomfortable being around lena even without directly interacting with her, and feels shes impersonal as his boss

- he asked lena about celia's whereabouts, when he could have texted her himself or she could've updated him, instead he chose to ask their boss about it

- the incident is narrated at his desk, and he draws comparison to the recent encounter alice had- both involving a dead woman recounting the strange way she died

- "she was trapped in her greatest fear, which then actually killed her", its interesting that he was able to clock that with the little context he has -> i wonder if this concept was touched on at his time at the magnus institute

- doubling on the previous observation, sam says he thinks something killed them both, as in a singular force is responsible for their very different deaths. i think that he's right, since this follows similar styles of story pacing/information reveals in the past, but my question lies in what this "something" is: an entity, the fear conglomerate? (fear being a whole force on its own, with the denominations being smaller aspects of it), or a reference to the dimensional rift in some way?

- he thinks gwen is kidding around when she says mr bonzo is an external (reasonably) but once she reacts strongly to him imitating the monster, he does seem to reexamine why she reacted that way. but it doesnt appear that he takes her seriously about mr bonzo, rather taking it as a sign of her deteriorating grip on reality

alice:

- she's attempting to pick up teddy's spirits and encourage him, offering to go out for drinks with him, sam, and celia

- she describes celia as "really weird but in a hot way", which can be taken at face value or as an attempt to joke with teddy (seeing as how she describes her brand as irritating yet faintly erotic)

- after her description of celia, she says that she can make teddy forget his obsession with sam, obviously a joke about teddy, but maybe a subconscious example of her own feelings?

- she's very adamant to sam that she wants nothing to do with the incident even if its similar, refusing to turn to curiosity and making fun of him for suggesting she get her red string out

- she seems actually unbothered by the idea that theres likely hundreds of thousands of entities in their world, and explains the likelihood of them being real/how many there are as if shes mulled this concept over before

- it sounds as if shes heard of others (past coworkers) that try to connect the dots between incidents that affected them and it went poorly, with the best case scenario being no more interaction with the encounter

- sam tells her off for ignoring both the incident and gwen's mental state, which she rebuffs by saying she can ignore it and she intends to continue doing so

gwen:

- after some pushing from sam and alice, she actually tries to open up about her issues, but she has a problem with explaining her experiences, making them not take her seriously

- originally, when she feels supported/encouraged, she tells them how she doesnt think the externals are humans, and takes the leap of faith of revealing mr bonzo is one of them

- once sam makes fun of the mr bonzo reveal, she tells him to shut up and curses, running from the office. this is the first time we as the audience really see her break

lena:

- she picks up on sam being unsettled in the break room, but is surprised that its because of her

- "why would i need to talk to you?/ consider my silence as a compliment"

teddy!:

- he was in the royal mint court area around dusk/whenever the OIAR shifts start, and he says he didn't recognize alice (i severely doubt this as she seems the sort of person to be aggressively noticeable even in the dark)

- he tells her that he was in the area for an interview (assuming the other interview he mentioned in a previous episode fell through)

- he seems to be going through a very rough patch financially and mentally, sounding very beat up and not really meeting alice's energy or jokes as he would in the past

georgina barker, the man the myth the legend:

- she's babysitting jack for celia, but it doesnt sound like they live together or like this is an average situation (celia apologizes for taking up georgie's time, and if georgie were the regular babysitter celia would likely have less issues relating to keeping a sitter

- "who keeps taking georgie's face?" im choosing to believe this is a poke at the fans and not a real foreshadowing of her fate. she survived one entire podcast against all odds i do not know if she can survive both

- shes pieced together that celia is lying about what happens and where she goes during these emergencies, insisting that celia tells her the truth (drawing some parallels between how tma!georgie interacted with jon and his lying)

- she asks celia if shes being spied on by the government, this is likely because celia has a civil service job and wtg probably touches on similar stories, but its very interesting that this is the first direction she goes in, rather than a paranormal one (its possible that tmagp! georgie doesnt believe in the paranormal, having never had an encounter with the End, but i find it unlikely shes a full skeptic

incident:

- our second incident to be narrated by augustus! (im not going to draw comparisons between his themes yet since we only have two to draw on)

- the incident follows the post mortem account of a dead woman named violet parker, taken from a medical examiners investigation into her death, related to a case from the london MET police

- her body was found clothed, dehydrated and malnourished, with an ankle injury and worn feet. and, most notably, dead.

- after the autopsy, violet's body began to speak, telling the story of her death.

- no one had come forward to claim her body, i think this furthers the theory that these speaking corpse's are from an alternate dimension (likely tma)

- violet talks about being trapped within a house that has multiple descriptors of tma fears. including mentions of spiders, loneliness, endless corridors, a person asking questions from an alleyway (similar to the angler fish)

- she describes the house as having too many rooms, passages designed to be confusing, so you have to walk endlessly and slowly starve (correlating to the state of her body). she talks about doing deeds and services for the people in her life out of fear they'll abandon her and she'll be alone.

- violet describes feeling like a lone cloud rolling among her peers as a child, and compares their laughter at her to poetry (drawing very clear parallels to martin's brand of loneliness in tma)

- she says that there was a fog that rolled through the house and disguised her and kept her trapped, but also makes reference to rusted nails, rotted wood, and signs of decay throughout its description, a tie to the corruption.

- the house shes referring to had been demolished in her childhood, but she describes it as a manifestation within her, where she wanders it in her mind. this is closely followed with a description of corridors that twist and confuse her, a common attribute of the spiral and the distortion specifically.

- violet says that someone had brought her to the house, calling them a solitary figure that asks questions from an alleyway. this draws similarities to the stranger and the angler fish, but it also reminded me of the archivist (in terms of asking questions and being responsible for bringing her to this nightmare)

- "it doesnt matter, because no one is here now. because i broke my promise." while this incident isn't narrated by chester, this line still hit me as a strong parallel to jon's final arc, and i wonder if it might be a clue as to his current state of being?

glitches/lies:

- "i'll get by", said by teddy to assure alice he's in a stable situation. poor guy

- "sure. maybe." also said by teddy in response to alice proposing they go for drinks if he gets the job. this cpuld mean he doesnt intend to go do that with her, or that he doesnt expect to get the job (or! he lied about being in the area for an interview)

- "ide ran out of baby food" said by celia, lying to georgie about why she left jack alone

- "im not!" said by celia, denying shes lying

[aro-comics]

Aros In Relationships - Update Post

Oh god, everyone, it’s been SO long. I Just wanted to say (even if the bulk of my life updates soon here), that I’ve missed you all so so much, and I’m so glad I get to finally be able to share my work on these. It’s certainly been a long time coming.

But onto my personal note for this series - I’m really grateful that I’ve had the chance to transcribe their stories. Talking to these people, hearing their stories, their words … I can’t even describe how many times I couldn’t believe what I was hearing/reading, because everything they were saying felt so similar to something I would have said. I almost felt like they were reading out the thoughts and experiences in my own head!!

And I guess that’s why they call it a community – we do have a lot in common! But obviously, our experiences haven’t been identical on the romance front, and it was really nice to get to hear from other aromantic people about what this is like.

Image Descriptions:

Title Card: Cover Image. This Comic series is titled “Aromanticism and Romantic Relationships”. A subtitle underneath says that it is a collaborative sketch comic series. Four people are illustrated on the cover. On the far left is Arrow, a person with an undercut and wavy brown hair. Standing next to them is Lucien, who is wearing a hoodie and a collar with a pentagram charm. They have short brown hair and tan skin. Further to the right is Dot; she has pale skin with light freckles, long slightly curly brown hair in a high ponytail, and a grey hairband. On the very right is May, who has long curly brown hair, tan skin, and is wearing a maroon shirt with a striped dark jacket, and a necklace with a ring on it.

Slide 1: Celia  faces the reader, hand at the back of her neck. “Hey everyone – it’s been an eon (ok, like a year or so). I’ll explain more about where I’ve been on my tumblr, but for this series I thought I’d make an intro for what it’s all about.”

Slide 2: Celia continues,  “A while back, I was asked to make a comic about being in a romantic relationship as an aro person – Which, given the nature of my comics –I can’t really do, because I’ve never dated anyone.”

Slide 3: “Thankfully, some arospec people who had been in romantic relationships reached out – and were really kind in volunteering their time and personal stories to help me record their perspectives.” 

Celia sits at a table, typing away at her laptop while interviewing May. Celia says: “Wait – you too?” in surprise as she realizes she relates to the story May is telling her. They reply: “Yeah! And when…” as they continue their story. 

Slide 4: “And they’ve had *such* incredible patience for me these past two years I chipped away at these comics –” 

A scene from the two years it took to get this comic series out the door. This was during Celia’s completion of her university thesis project. She holds a draft in her hands, reading out to the participant that she calls on her phone, “On page 9, I wasn’t sure exactly what to draw… I could show the progress of what y’all did on the date?” 

They reply: “That works! The sketch is mostly accurate…”

In the background, references to upholstering a bench like padded chair, design sketches, and a poster with a map and circled possible apartment locations is depicted. 

Slides 5-6: The scene switches to a group shot with Celia and the participants. She stands with one hand on her hip and the other outstretched, gesturing to them. 

 “So, without further ado – please welcome May, Arrow, Dot, and Lucien!”

The four are sitting at a table with nameplates set in front of them. Arrow waves a hand at the reader, while Lucien has their arms folded and resting on the table. May and Dot both smile in a friendly manner at the reader. 

Celia continues, “You’ll be hearing from them over the course of this series – which I’ve adapted as long form comics like my “What is Love” comic over on my tumblr.”

Slide 7: “My process for these comics was highly collaborative. I worked together with these people as I wrote the script and drew the storyboard, because I want to be as authentic to their voices as possible. If they read a little different from my usual work – that’s because they are! And I hope you’ll enjoy getting the chance to hear from other Arospec folks' perspectives.”

Slide 7: “I’ll share each person’s comic with their cover page on Tumblr – the whole thing!” The cover page for May’s comic is shown, decorated with doodles of stars. It has the caption: “May – They/Them * Aro Demiace”

“And in parts with a collaborative IG account opened for each person’s comic.”

Also shown is a screenshot of an account named arosinrelationships_may. The description of the account reads: “May’s comics as part of @aro_comics series posted here”

Celia signs off on the note ‘See you soon!’ and a heart.

[irradiatedsnakes]

btw in the tmagp launch celebratory stream alice's voice actor said her favorite scene that'd been recorded by that point was "alice and sam go to a place". so i suppose we'll be getting that next week :]

other notes. this statement (hey! actually a statement this time! what the fuck) was SOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD

the cursed dice angle is so good, the way the statement giver took on that role (roll), played the part, UGH it's so fun. the theme of choice that was brought up is also so good- just. ONE more roll for old time's sake :) especially given that this is a TMI statement and how HUGE IMPORTANT of a theme choice and free will were in tma, felt very fitting. fantastic, loved that.

continuing on my stuff about the entities in tmagp- once again some things here feel very on the nose, particularly the statement giver literally calling himself a mysterious stranger. this feels like a fun little red herring to me, for people a bit hung up on the entities stuff. that's how i interpreted it, anyways. i wanna know more about this world so fucking bad, dude.

also, the institute's in manchester in tmagp, not chelsea/london. which means no milbank prison, no panopticon. interesting. (though soemthing that was known from the arg already- i really need to deep dive on that. tomorrow, maybe.) statement taking and artifact storage are still a thing, evidently, but noting that there's no mention of an archivist or anything like that. and the subject/agent/catalyst stuff, that's Very interesting.

once again, chester bringing up a magnus-related statement, here in obvious reply to what sam was talking about- just when he was considering to celia about dropping his investigations- clearly (imo) to goad him into not leaving it behind. excellent. and fun given the first TMI-related incident with redcanary had the obvious conclusion of THE MAGNUS INSTITUTE IS WEIRD AND DANGEROUS while also having enough mystery to draw sam in further. sam's seen the canary die in the coalmine and has made the decision to keep digging and that's fantastic.

now! characters! sam's paperwork :) VERY intriguing that he's getting all this stuff and celia's got none of it- he said it was due to that box about the response department, but i've got my doubts about that being the reason he's being saddled with all this weird stuff. also the questions on the thing made me laugh, very good. sam and celia have such good interactions, i love how they bounce off each other. also, with regards to the paperwork- i think there's a connection to be made about the statement giver's continued rolling of the dice (it always felt like my choice.) and sam filling out all this creepy, utterly pointless paperwork to "refuse to give it the satisfaction of giving up".

GWEN AND LENA. nigel dickerson, you know, from tv? possibly. i don't watch television. i do hope we'll be seeing exactly what gwen is being told to do next episode.. delivering something, keeping calm, recording the detailed reactions to what's being delivered. maybe we'll get a bit more of a clue as to what the oair is actually for. i do like that gwen's not become one bit less indignant, skeptical, and disrespectful towards lena now that she's got this job. i'm very excited to see her on her fist job she's gonna suck at it i think

i'll admit i was a little surprised to see teddy again. i was worried for a sec he might be going in the direction of getting dragged back to the oair, but nah. not yet, at least :) and ALICE. ALIIIIICE auaaaaagh!!! i don't know if i have much to say baout this part that isn't just (shaking a plushie in my mouth like a dog). very neat that she has agreed to help sam investigate this and actually go to the institute when she's been so staunchly don't get caught up in the creepy stuff! leave the magnus institute stuff ALONE you don't want to get into this spooky shit! like.. she does not want to get involved with spooky shit and she doesn't want sam to get involved with spooky shit but she cares about him and their friendship a lot and this is obviously important to him. so. (plus, the thing about alice's brother having been at the institute alongside sam and gerry..) i like them both so much. i am so excited for next weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek

[hannahhook7744]

Isle Kids being off putting or just plain off;

Based on a dc bat family post I can't find.

Jay, Jade, Hermie Bing, and Yzla bending in ways that shouldn't be possible.

Carlos having a way with machines and animals that goes beyond what even his similar minded relatives can understand even from a young age.

Diego, despite being perceived as the 'normal' de Vil cousin, giving off a sense of danger when he smiles at Auradon adults who haven't earned his trust. His song and personality drawing people in like a siren call.

Reza knowing things no human should and having no light behind his eyes.

Evie and Uma having strangely enchanting personalities that draw almost everybody in.

Claudine Frollo, Eddie Balthazar, and Hunter de Vil being so quiet that people often forget they're there.

Harry coming off as unhinged in one minute and a completely normal dude the next.

Cj Hook and Ivy de Vil setting things like water on fire.

Lefou Deux creating toys after just looking at them. Having no idea what goes into them and just making them work somehow.

Hadie talking to what other people can't see even at eight years old.

Red screaming 'off with your head' when angry and seeing nothing wrong with it.

The LeGume brothers being inhumanely strong.

Ginny looking somewhat younger than she is as she ages.

Harry Badun never looking in the mirror.

Zevon being able to make potions out of nothing.

The Stabbington cousins being weirdly in sync to a point where it can't be a gag.

The Smee Twins knowing where the other is and if they're in pain when it should be impossible.

Celia and Freddie being able to convince people of things without much effort.

Dizzy being unnaturally cheerful.

Mad Maddy being strangely attached to dolls and talking to them.

Sammy Smee, Harriet Hook, Anthony Tremaine, and Jace Badun seeing something absolutely wild happen and not even batting an eye at it.

Rick Ratcliffe casually saving someone from drowning before continuing what he was doing without reacting to it.

Clay Clayton not staying down for the count when hurt and finding it fun.

The number of Tremaines and Madam Mim's grandchildren being untrackable because people just keep popping up.

The total number of isle kids being unknown as more and more keep popping up and keep disappearing.

Uma's crew (Jonas, Bonny, Desiree, Gonzo, etc) knowing where she is and believing in her without question when off the isle.

Just. Every single isle kid being strange in some way that anyone from off the isle (and even the isle parents in the early years) find off putting.

And no one knowing why or how.

The isle kids not even knowing they're off putting over half the time.

[jarenka]

Opera poser for @dreaminghour (tbh I suck at graphic design so it's more like an illustration)

I was thinking what I should draw for this request and if I need to come up with full new opera plot. No, I already have one! Actually in post-ROTJ au fic there should be (I don't know if I include it in the final version of the fic) an episode featuring one of the Anakin's favourite opera.

It calls "Celia" after the main character, and i thing you will easily recognise which real opera inspired me.

Here is the plot.

Celia is a canteen owner on a planet in the Outer Rim. She has a lover, captain Liim, who was military officer on his own planet before he met Celia and fell in love with her. He left military, moved to Celia's planet a bought a cargo ship to become a regular cargo ship captain on local inter-sector routes so he can see her regularly.

Once captain Liim starts to suspects that Celia is gradually losing interest in him. Celia sings and dances for him to show her affection, but captain Liim is still suspicious and jealous. Meanwhile Celia is introduced by her friends to Jasen Taal, emerging racing star. He is beautiful and charming, he flirts with her and promise to visit her canteen.

Couple of weeks later after winning another race Jasen Taal celebrates his victory in Celia's canteen. Captain Liim should be working, but he doesn't take orders from his clients and refuse to leave planet. He is jealous, he is afraid that Celia would cheat him when he is away. His crew is very unhappy about it, if captain Liim continues to act this way, they won't get their money next month and their regular clients will find another carriers.

Captain Liim visits Celia's canteen in the middle of celebration, he sees Jasen Taal flirting with Celia, and she doesn't stop him. Jasen Taal claims that he is completely mesmerized by Celia, he never saw a woman more charming than her. After the whole bottle of Corellian whiskey, in the end of the evening, captain Liim starts a terrible scandal, accusing Celia of cheating. He calls her slut in front of her employers and late guests. Celia is really mad. She says that captain Liim is a terrible person and she doesn't want to see him. Canteen's security guard kicks him out.

Next couple of weeks captain Liim drinks and tries to meet Celia to beg her for forgiveness. People are gossiping about him. And also he hears gossips that Celia is dating Jasen Taal now. He doesn't want to believe it.

One day captain Liim is able to find Celia in her home alone. Big annual race is coming, all the town is festive, and everyone is sure that Jasen Taal will win this race. Celia is going there too, but captain Liim doesn't know about it yet. He begs her to forgive him, he wants to be with her again. He tries to talk her into marrying him and stay with him on his ship. They will travel together. Celia finds his proposal utterly ridiculous and mocks him. Captain Liim accuses her of cheating again, Celia says that it's not his business. She doesn't want him. Captain Liim begs her to give him another chance. They were lovers for years and he thinks that deep down Celia still loves him. Celia doesn't love him anymore. They start to quarrel, Celia tries to get from her house but captain Liim blocks her way. She says that the race starts soon and she wants to see it.

"You wants to see you new lover!", accuses her captain Liim. She says that it's true, Jasen Taal is her lover now, and captain Liim should leave her alone because she loves another man. When he tries to claim her as his woman, Celia laughs in his face and says that she is her own woman and doesn't belong to any man. She tries to get past captain Liim again, but in his rage he violently pushes her away and trows her on the ground. She hits her head and when captain Liim, horrified by his own violence, reaches her, she is already dead.

So, Anakin watched this opera more then once in his youth, it's one of his favourite, it has really beautiful music and a lot of passion just like he loves. If he ever associated himself with anyone in this opera, it was Jasen Taal, charming racer. Also in Galaxy Opera House he was usually played by the actor who looked a lot like Anakin. He kinda despised captain Liim. When Anakin found out about Clovis, he mentally compared him with captain Liim.

He hasn't seen any operas when he was Vader, but later on Carati, he found a good recording of this opera from one of the local opera houses. At first he was a bit hesitant. The scenery was pretty simplistic, he usually didn't like this kind of staging. But when Celia appeared on a scene with her first aria Anakin was completely mesmerized by her. Actress had a beautiful deep voice and irresistible charm, it was very easy to understand how both captain Liim and Jasen Taal lost their minds over her. Anakin watched this pretty long opera in one sitting, but towards the end he became more and more uncomfortable. And when captain Liim killed Celia, Anakin was like: "Oh shit that's me. I was like that too".

[panthera-tigris-venenata]

Look what I found! CJ’s lost and everyone’s panicking! (and it’s a great excuse to shove Sea Three on the Isle of the Doomed a bit if I ever continue writing)

„Uma!“ the doors fly open as Harry barges into the Chipp Shoppe, his voice just at the verge of breaking, „Uma–“

She sets down whatever pitiful excuse for a meal she was carrying and snarls at the customer that would complain it was not his order, as if she ever cared. Especially now, can’t he see?

She takes barely two steps towards her first mate before he is standing in front of her, wringing his hook in his hands as his eyes shine in distress.

„I can’t find CJ–“ he has the good decency not to shout for all restaurant to hear, though gods know how long that’s gonna last, and she doesn’t need him causing a scene in the open. So she silences him with but a gesture – his jaw clicks audibly into place – and leads him outside, only pausing to ask Desiree to cover her shift for a bit. She doesn’t have anything better to do anyway.

Within moments, they stand in an alley behind the restaurant, dark and damp and entirely unpleasant, but with the Lost Revenge emblem shining brightly on one wall. It’s awful and even downright nasty in there, but it’s home.

And so Uma turns around to face her first mate once more, this time with less nosy audience at least.

„What’s wrong?“ she asks.

He answers just as before („I can’t find CJ…“) and squeezes his hook in all the wrong ways. Uma gently peels away his fingers from the sharp weapon and quickly checks if he didn’t manage to injure himself yet; then she squeezes his hand in her own and doesn’t let go. (No one is watching.)

„I can’t find her anywhere, I’ve looked everywhere, I swear, and it has been too long already and Harriet hasn’t seen her either and Freddie Facilier is also missing–“

Uma doesn’t know how to answer, though she knows CJ went missing, of course. So she only holds his hand and draws circles on his skin and hums so he’d tell her more.

„I’ve looked everywhere, Uma!“ His voice rises and when she looks up at him, she sees that his irises are bleeding red.

„I can’t stand it, what if something happened to her? What if something happened to her, Uma?“

„She is fine, your sister is crafty, Harry, I can’t imagine anything what could take her <i> and </i> Freddie. She is alright, she is just hiding somewhere because she feels like it. Maybe she just forgot how time works again, it wouldn’t be the first time…“

„No, Uma, no–“ he cries out, „What if she went to the Isle of the Doomed?“

„The what?“

„Isle of the Doomed!“

„I don’t know what that is, Harry,“ Uma must control her voice so she doesn’t yell at him impatiently, she wouldn’t help things at all.

„Tell me what that is.“

It takes her a moment to piece together what he is rambling about, even as he clearly tries to be as coherent as possible, which is not saying much right now. But it is enough: He just heard about the Isle from Dizzy Tremaine, of all people, and she heard from Celia Facilier – yeah, Uma lost the thread there a bit.

Nevertheless, Harry is convinced that his little sister heard of the forbidden island and immediately decided to go take a look, which, yes, it does sound like her. And it could be very plausible to get stuck on that horrible place with no way out, wouldn’t it now? And what if something happened to her?

„Hey,“ Uma interrupts him, „We’re gonna check, okay? We’re gonna check and find her, if she’s there.“

„What if she isn’t?“

Uma doesn’t know how to answer, and he doesn’t ask again; they stand in silence for a moment.

„We’re gonna check first,“ says Uma finally. If anything, searching is better than doing nothing, everything is better than uncertainty.

„We sail as soon as the crew is ready.“

He nods once and flickers his eyes around the alley, looking if they’re still alone, though who would dare interrupt them?

Finding it satisfactory, he leans in for a hug, which Uma is all too happy to reciprocate. His arms close around her and her fingers slip into his hair just for a moment. They just hold each other for several long breaths, until Uma leans away:

„Go get the crew ready, Harry,“ she tells him. His lips split in a parody of a smile as he says „aye,“ and cocks his head a bit; then he lets go of her and stalks away, fast and heavy steps, hook at the ready, clear purpose in mind. Good.

When she walks into the restaurant, Harry is already at the center, at the little podium. His hook in his hand, the red cloak flaring, and eyes burning with fire.

„Come on, you wharf rats, to the ship.“ 

He makes a rather fearsome image, doesn't he? Her first mate.

„We sail soon, on the Captain's orders-“ 

Uma nods at her crewmates who look at her for reassurance.

„-And I want the ship ready in thirty minutes, so move, move, everyone!“

[monochromaticskies]

every time i enjoy some new thing, i always seem to make an au of it for my ocs…..

so here’s the first of my “lord of the rings slash the hobbit but with an original story au” designs!!

this is maple akhtar, aka maple gamgee! i will not be following the lord of the rings story and replacing the roles of the characters with my ocs; instead it will have its own plot, but i’m not exactly sure how canon-adherent it will be in terms of timeframe and designs (i am basically ignoring the canon-ness of all elves being fairskinned, for example, as i don’t want to whitewash my own characters, but they will still have long, straight hair). i am considering having it take place post-return of the king and being more domestic issues/just a fun little adventure, more like the hobbit, but we’ll see! i’ll keep you updated as i continue making oc designs :3

maple is a gamgee as i feel like it fits his general character; he has curlier hair than in his actual design, but retains the fact he is waaay shorter than everyone else. he has terrible eyesight and probably collects different glasses chains, often made himself as not many hobbits wear glasses (i don’t think)! feel free to ask whatever you like about him! a lot of my understanding of canon comes from the lotr films and hobbit book, so if it’s not totally accurate, sorry about that :p

other characters i have planned for this au are comet, celia, wilbur and possibly anémona. i don’t think i’ve showcased wilbur on this account before, but i’ve posted drawings of celia and a short writing oneshot with comet and ani, in case you want an insight into their characters. i also have ao3 and wattpad with various short stories about them available to read!! i don’t think i’ve posted anything about maple before, though.

sorry for rambling so much but i hope you like his design and the au idea! this is very self indulgent lolz

[fantastic-mr-corvid]

Celia, Cecio & being haunted by your mother in the empty spaces between you both and each others faces.

my dumb ass typed 'i could write an essay on this' and then did.

anyway. Celia Cecio & their mother and how she haunted the ever loving fuck out of both of them<3 get HAUNTED bitches.

main piece im talking about is the first, a wip where Cecio is being haunted by his mother. this gets long, rambles continue under the cut, more general than just this piece after teh first few paragraphs

i could write an essay on empty space & their mother bc in this shes so much closer to the center and has space around her while cecio has the bottom just over third and shes intruding into even that. shes leaning down over him, embracing him while surrounding him, while hes being held up by her, but seems to be able to slip out of frame at any point. she dictates the space just by her presence. the background is her and celias colours, cecio only gets himself, she gets everything else and shes still acting on him, intruding into that space.

like in the original family celia n cecio [that i want to redraw] theres an empty space that is glaring once you notice and thats bc shes there!!! their mother is always haunting them!!!!

if its just one of them she's still there even if there is not the empty space, bc shes still haunting them, just in their faces. Cecio is the spitting image of her just with different colours, and Celia has her fathers nose and thicker eyebrows but exactly the same golden hair and sometimes they cant look at each other bc shes just always THERE.

when shes recently dead it was heartbreaking bc they would see each other out of the corner of their eyes and think she was back. Celia sees Cecios silhouette, he sees Celias hair, and all they can think of how much the other looks like her.

Cecio likes his hair long but he never lets his fringe get as long as celias bc thats the length their mothers was. cant let it cover his vision the way hers did, constantly tucking it to the side of her face. cant wear his hair down because she did, so low ponytails it is, so similar yet just different enough it triggers the memories less.

one day as a teen Celia is having a breakdown and gets halfway through dyeing her hair as some way of distancing herself from her mother before breaking down sobbing. Cecio doesn't look her in the eyes because of the lingering dye stains, a desperate attempt to forget their mother, and the burden she placed on Celia. Celia gives up on the long hair her mother loved, the neat bob, and hacks off the hair tainted with the splotches of dye, finding now, that she has her mothers curls too.

Cecio dreams of her, golden and saturated, and feels like the ghost, the corpse, next to her. drained of life and colour, silvers and pale where she was vibrant. someones takes a black and white photograph of him when hes been to stressed to get his hair cut and his mother stares back.

every glance, image, drawing of either of them is just a few lines and colour changes from being her.

-

in Wotr, when they reunite, Celia tells him how much he looks like their mother, how he has her nose, and he doesn't tell her that he forgot that, the image of their mother in his head long merged with Celia's.

[marigoldbaker]

started work on an extremely indulgent crossover fic that starts off with river. so here is a snip :) read for celia-typical feelings about amy and river's dynamic, as always, forever.

“That one, look over there,” Amy was saying, a giggle in her voice as she nudged River’s shoulder. “Is that a space Chihuahua in her purse?”

River squinted, her mouth twitching. “Actually, I believe the closest thing to that on Earth would be – well –” She considered, drawing upon centuries-ago biology classes at Luna University. “Have you ever wondered what it might be like if a hyena and an electric eel had some sort of clandestine affair?”

“Has anyone?” said Amy, still all giggles. “Slimy laughter, that’s what it’d be, River.”

“Now, that’s a band name,” said River without thinking.

Amy looked at her askance, eyes still shining, and River realized her mistake. “Do you know,” said Amy, in the same tone of voice she’d said everything else, “my best friend Mels, she says that all the time?”

“Oh?” said River.

“You two would get along,” said Amy, tapping her chin with her pointer finger. “You’d probably explode a whole planet, mind, but you’d get along.” She looked shyly up at River. “What about you, River? Do you have a space best friend?”

Everything in River ached. Every day. Hurt in a way that would never stop hurting. She’d thought it had been agony when she first found herself in this body, giving up every other life she would ever have to pull the Doctor forward, but watching her mother slip away from her, look at her with unknowing eyes and a casually friendly smile, was pain beyond anything she’d ever known. 

Lucky thing, then, that River refused to interrogate her feelings on this.

“Spoilers,” she said.

“How the hell is that spoilers?” said Amy, an incredulous laugh in her voice.

River considered her words carefully. “My best friend is my mother,” she said.

“You have a mother?” said Amy. Then, “No, hang on, wait, you’re a mummy’s girl? Oh, Christ, your mum must be psychotic.”

River thought of Kovarian, then Amy. “In a sense.”

“Or, wait, was that rude?” Amy was continuing. “I’m sorry, I just–just, the thought of you with a mum is terrifying. Some part of me feels as though you were just born with all that space hair and a blaster.” 

River suspected that Amy had never quite stopped feeling that way about her. “Well, I do have a mum,” she said, “and she–”

What to say about Amy? Amy was her whole world. River’s earliest memory was of Amy holding her, whispering words of such love. Even when Amy had been so, so little, just the joy of being around her again had been enough to very nearly eclipse the grief of never being little Melody Pond, with a mum who was big enough to hold her. No way to boil Amy down into a pithy little sentence. Impossible for River to even try.

“Oh, no, don’t tell me,” said Amy wisely, before River could. “She’s someone important too, isn’t she? And you can’t tell me or the Doctor, ‘cause we’ll meet her soon enough.”

“Spoilers,” said River, tapping her nose, and smiled like it was easy. 

[consultingsister]

CONTINUED FROM -- @banschivs

What is good and what is bad and who decides is something Celia has thought about a lot. More than anyone really should be thinking about it. She had watched people commit minor, almost meaningless crimes, hoping to achieve some small good. And more recently, she's been more and more aware of someone doing some really bad, verging on evil, in pursuit of major overall good. So, who draws the line here?

"Well--" she pauses to open the door for Nix, admiring the decor. "We do. Society does. Good is merely the collective agreement of the powerful, but the powerful here is based on context. In your house, you and Arthur are all-powerful, right? You decide what is right and wrong the kids abide to it. Then you move up and out, it's your friendship group, your family. Then your community, finally, it's your government."

Cee gives a slight shrug here, "or God, if that helps you sleep at night."

[lonelywriter2710]

Better Things - A Deep Dive into the Life of Sam Fox

Better Things is not just a show; it's an intimate exploration of life’s messiness through the lens of Sam Fox, a single mother juggling her career while raising three daughters.

Context: Created by Pamela Adlon and Louis C.K., Better Things premiered on FX and ran for five seasons from 2016 to 2022. The show, starring Adlon, is semi-autobiographical, drawing from her own experiences as a mother and actress.

Expectations: As someone who’s 18/19 years old, I was specifically looking for a show with a primarily female cast that I hadn't watched before. The premise of a single mother raising three daughters intrigued me even more. Being close in age to Max, Frankie, and Duke made it easier for me to relate to their experiences, and I was curious to see how the show would depict the complexities of growing up and the dynamics of a mother-daughter relationship.

Plot Summary (Without Spoilers)

Overview: Better Things centres around Sam Fox, an actress and single mother, as she navigates the ups and downs of life in Los Angeles. The plot is less about a linear story and more about the everyday experiences of Sam and her daughters, each at different stages of growing up.

Setting & Premise: Set in LA, the series captures the chaotic yet loving environment of Sam’s home life, her professional struggles, and her relationship with her eccentric mother, Phil.

Key Characters:

Sam Fox (Pamela Adlon): A fiercely independent woman balancing motherhood and acting.

Max, Frankie, and Duke: Her three daughters, each with their own quirks and challenges.

Phil (Celia Imrie): Sam’s free-spirited British mother, who lives next door.

Analysis

Storytelling & Script: The narrative structure of Better Things is unconventional, often feeling more like a series of vignettes than a traditional plot-driven story. This approach perfectly mirrors the unpredictability of real life. The dialogue is sharp, witty, and deeply authentic, capturing the nuances of family dynamics.

Direction: Pamela Adlon, who also directs many episodes, brings a personal touch to the show. Her direction is intimate and often unfiltered, allowing moments to unfold naturally. Adlon’s ability to capture the mundane yet meaningful aspects of life is where Better Things truly shines.

Performances: Adlon’s portrayal of Sam is nothing short of remarkable. She embodies the role with a blend of toughness and vulnerability that feels incredibly real. The supporting cast, particularly Celia Imrie as Phil and the young actresses playing her daughters, delivers strong performances that add depth and texture to the show.

Cinematography & Visuals: The visual style of Better Things is understated yet effective. The camera work often feels close and personal, which complements the show's intimate tone. The use of natural lighting and real-life settings enhances the authenticity of the series.

Sound & Music: The soundtrack is eclectic, featuring a mix of contemporary and classic tracks that perfectly match the tone of each episode. The use of music is subtle but impactful, often amplifying the emotional weight of a scene.

Themes & Messages (Spoilers)

Supernatural Elements

A unique and recurring theme in Better Things is the presence of the supernatural, magic, and superstition. The show integrates these elements in a way that adds depth to the characters and their experiences:

Beanie Boy Statue: At the top of their staircase, the Beanie Boy statue serves as a ritualistic object that each character touches before going upstairs or downstairs. This statue, which symbolises a connection to the supernatural, is smashed in Season 5 but is replaced by a new one in the finale, underscoring its continued significance.

Ghosts & Illusions: Duke, in particular, has a connection to the supernatural. She frequently sees ghosts, including the spirit of her deceased grandfather, whom she never met. This supernatural thread is further emphasised by Sam, who also experiences illusions of her father talking to her. The show portrays these experiences with a blend of reverence and casual acceptance, reflecting the family's belief in the supernatural.

Tarot Readings: Duke uses tarot readings as a means of communicating with spirits, adding another layer to the show's exploration of magic and superstition. This practice is portrayed as an integral part of her character and her relationship with the unseen world.

Family Beliefs: All the key female characters in Better Things share a belief in the supernatural, which influences their actions and interactions. This collective belief in the mystical and magical aspects of life adds an intriguing layer to their personal and familial dynamics.

Motherhood & Identity

At its core, Better Things is a meditation on motherhood and the struggle to maintain a sense of self while caring for others. It tackles themes like ageing, the pressure of societal expectations, and the joys and frustrations of raising children.

Artistic Expression

One of the aspects I thoroughly enjoyed about Better Things is its artistic implementation. The creative nature of Sam, who is not only an actress but also skilled in playing the piano and singing, permeates through to her daughters. Max excels in photography and dabbles in ceramics, ballet, and piano. Frankie explores singing, piano, and some emotive acting, while Duke delves into ballet, piano, and shows promise in writing and poetry. The artistic inclinations of each daughter are clearly influenced by Sam, highlighting how her passion for the arts is an integral part of their upbringing. This artistic thread running through the family adds a rich layer to their characters and emphasises the role of creativity in self-expression and coping with life’s challenges.

Artistic Spaces & Costuming

The show beautifully showcases the importance of artistic expression through the design of the family’s living spaces. Each daughter’s room is surrounded by art and colour, reflecting their unique personalities and artistic interests. The rest of the house is vibrant and full of creative energy, allowing each female character to express herself freely. The costuming of the daughters also plays a significant role in defining their characters. Max’s outfits are more revealing, reflecting her teenage rebellion and exploration of identity. Frankie’s wardrobe is nerdy and conservative, aligning with her introspective and thoughtful nature. Duke’s clothing is childish yet stylish, capturing her youthful exuberance and emerging sense of self. I found myself taking inspiration from the varied and realistic costume choices, as they add depth to each character and ground them in the realities of growing up.

Sam's costuming sharply contrasts with that of the other characters in the show, particularly her family, who tend to dress in flamboyant, vibrant outfits. In contrast, Sam adopts a practical, understated style typical of a busy mom, often favouring toned-down or muted colours. However, she accessorises with boho-style rings, necklaces, and boots, which add a personal touch to her look. The idea behind Sam's less attention-grabbing clothing could be her desire to avoid being recognized in public. Although she rose to fame at a young age, her career has since declined, but she still occasionally receives attention from strangers. By maintaining a more subdued style, she makes herself less recognizable. She often wears sunglasses, further enhancing her anonymity

Puberty & Growing Up

The show intricately explores the theme of growing up, particularly through the lens of Sam’s daughters:

Seasons 1-3: Focus on Max's development into adulthood, capturing the turbulent journey from adolescence to early adulthood.

Seasons 2-4: Highlight Frankie's evolution as they start to care more about those around them, learning to respect and appreciate others more.

Seasons 4-5: Center on Duke, at the cusp of 13, where the onset of puberty brings mood swings and behaviours that echo the earlier experiences of Max and Frankie.

The show portrays the challenges and changes that come with each daughter's growth, reflecting the cyclical nature of parenting through different stages.

Family Dynamics

Sam has a unique parenting style with each of her daughters. 

Max: the eldest daughter, is moody, dramatic, and rebellious, often clashing with Sam over various issues. These include Sam’s permissive attitude towards smoking marijuana, allowing a keg of beer at Max’s graduation party when she was only 17 or 18, and the financial burdens Sam faces, such as supporting her family and paying alimony to Xander. While Sam does scold and argue with Max, she ultimately understands that Max is a teenager finding her way. Sam doesn’t get overly angry when Max defies her, recognizing that this rebellion is part of Max’s journey towards independence. When Max leaves for college in Chicago, their relationship reaches a high point as Max begins to mature. However, this period of harmony is short-lived. After just one semester, Max moves back home, choosing to pursue her passion for photography while working a part-time job and living rent-free at Sam’s house. As Max starts working, she begins to see eye-to-eye with Sam on many things, finally understanding the importance of earning money and the challenges her mother faces. This newfound appreciation deepens after Max’s father abandons her before graduation, making her realise that Sam is the only parental figure she truly needs. In the final season, their relationship gains a new layer of complexity when Max has an abortion. Max hides this from Sam for much of the season while taking on more adult responsibilities, such as trying to rent an apartment and guiding Duke through her mood swings and bad behaviour. When Max tells Sam that she’s staying in London, it signifies to Sam that Max has finally grown into an adult capable of making her own decisions, though Sam will always worry about her. Sam never imposes the stereotypical expectations of being the eldest daughter onto Max. Instead, she allows Max to be authentically herself, without the pressure to care for her younger siblings or serve as a role model.

Frankie: Sam’s relationship with Frankie, her middle child, is far more complex. Frankie is strong-willed, rude, and unfiltered, often overwhelming Sam with her bluntness. As the genius of the family, Frankie skipped grades and graduated two years early—an achievement Sam finds endearing, though Frankie sees it as no big deal. Frankie often educates Sam on social, cultural, and political matters, which can sometimes overwhelm or even offend her mother. While Sam usually refrains from scolding Frankie for speaking her mind, others—like Phil, Sam’s friends, and even some strangers—suggest that Frankie should be more considerate when addressing her mother. This external criticism adds to Frankie’s insecurities. At the end of Season 3, Frankie runs away from home without any apparent reason, leaving Sam worried sick. Despite her concern, Sam chooses to give Frankie the freedom to make her own choices, understanding that pushing her too hard might drive her away even further. Frankie partially realises that her actions were wrong, but she often struggles with apologising for her behaviour. As Frankie matures, she begins to defend Sam against critics, including Max and Duke. She also starts guiding Duke, as their closer age gap allows for a stronger bond than she shares with Max. Among the three daughters, Frankie is the one who tries the hardest to connect with their father, possibly due to her strained relationship with Max or her naturally rebellious nature. Although she often forgives her dad for his mistakes, she always sides with her mom. After graduation, Frankie finds herself unsure of her next steps, symbolising her development from a stern 13-year-old who seemed sure of her path to a confused 16-year-old who is learning that it’s okay not to have all the answers.

Duke: Sam’s relationship with Duke, her youngest daughter, is the most positive among the three, largely because Duke hasn’t yet reached puberty. Sam often refers to Duke as the “favourite child” due to her kind, caring, and open nature—not just towards Sam, but to everyone she meets. While Duke occasionally argues with her sisters, particularly Frankie, Sam usually sides with her, likely due to Duke’s age, which sometimes causes Frankie to feel jealous. Duke shares Sam’s passion for animals and is often seen with their pets more than her sisters. She also believes in spirits and claims to see the ghost of her grandfather, whom she never met, mirroring Sam’s own experiences with illusions of her father. However, Duke has a hidden rude side, often cursing and insulting others while maintaining a perfect image in front of her mom. Duke’s transition into puberty, which begins in Season 5, is brief but dramatic. She starts to resemble a younger Max, yet Duke struggles with bad mental health and self-image issues. She develops a vaping habit, which others frequently scold her for, and her once cheerful demeanour becomes more negative and depressive, leading to further isolation. This stark contrast from the Duke of previous seasons reflects the turmoil she’s experiencing. In the final season, Sam and Duke’s relationship is less prominently featured, partly due to the earlier focus on it and Duke’s growing desire for independence. However, in the last two episodes, Duke begins to regain some clarity and direction during their time in London, reconnecting with her past interests and appreciating the world more than she did before.`

Empowerment

Sam’s journey is one of empowerment, as she learns to navigate the challenges of life on her own terms.

LGBTQ+ Identity

The show also touches on themes of LGBTQ+ identity, particularly through characters and subplots that explore sexual orientation and gender identity. This exploration adds depth to the narrative, reflecting broader societal conversations about identity and acceptance.

Sexual and Racial Identity

Better Things addresses issues of sexual and racial identity, using its characters and storylines to delve into the complexities of these themes. The portrayal of these aspects is nuanced and contributes to the show’s exploration of personal and social identity.

Culture and Mental Health

The show provides a candid look at mental health, incorporating it into the everyday struggles of its characters. Cultural influences also play a role, enriching the narrative with diverse perspectives and experiences.

Character Analysis: Phil Fox

Phil's Charm and Complexity

Phil Fox, Sam's eccentric mother, is a deeply loved character due to her charm, humor, and talkative persona. Despite her endearing qualities, she embodies the type of mother that many daughters would find challenging, as illustrated by her complex relationship with Sam. Over the seasons, as Phil’s health declines, Sam’s role shifts to becoming her primary caregiver, which complicates their dynamic but also leads to a deeper mutual respect.

Phil's Background and Relationships

Phil's relationship with Sam's late father, who was a comedian and influenced Sam’s acting career, adds depth to her character. Phil married Sam’s father for his humour, and while it's suggested that she may have had affairs during their marriage, these details remain ambiguous. Phil seldom reminisces about her husband unless prompted, often criticising his family, likely due to her estrangement from her own Liverpool-based family after marrying a Jewish man in America. This background contributes to her unconscious bias against her late husband's Jewish side of the family and a greater respect for her British roots.

Role as a Grandparent and Critic

Phil’s role as a grandmother includes moments where she scolds her grandchildren for their perceived lack of respect toward Sam. Her criticisms extend to her late husband, Xander, whom she derides as a "deadbeat" and blames Sam for staying with and having children with him. This critical perspective highlights Phil’s often conflicting attitudes towards family and relationships.

Character Development

In Season 2, Episode "Phil," Phil acknowledges Sam’s efforts by expressing her pride and gratitude, especially after Phil’s poor memory leads to an accident. This episode marks a poignant moment where Phil’s vulnerabilities are laid bare, and Sam’s care for her mother is underscored. Phil’s acknowledgment of Sam’s support and her subsequent accident, which leads her to seek comfort in a hospital, illustrate the complexity of their relationship and Phil’s need for security and validation.

Character Flaws & Hypocrisy

Sam's Affair

A significant and subtle flaw in Sam’s character is her ongoing affair with a married man, which runs from Season 1 to Season 3. This relationship starkly contrasts with her strong advocacy for her female friends to leave their unsatisfactory marriages. Her past marriage to Xander, which ended in failure and resulted in her becoming a single mother, informs her stance on marriage, yet her actions reveal a troubling hypocrisy.

Hypocrisy in Action

Despite being a vocal critic of unhappy marriages and advocating for women to leave their husbands, Sam's own behaviour contradicts this. She maintains an affair with a married man without regard for his wife, whom she does not know. This duplicity becomes more apparent when Sam meets the man's wife, Laney, in Season 4, Episode "New Orleans." The encounter is tense and showcases Laney’s suspicion about Sam and her husband’s relationship.

“New Orleans” Episode

During this episode, Sam and the man walk through the streets of New Orleans while discussing his departure from his wife. His justification—that she knew he didn’t want to be there—allows Sam to accept the situation without apparent guilt. The scene, in which they smoke cigarettes together, further symbolises Sam’s toxic behaviour and her failure to address her own moral inconsistencies.

Self-Reflection

Sam’s affair and her reactions to it underscore her inner conflict and hypocrisy. While she champions women’s independence and criticises flawed marriages, her involvement in a secretive and morally questionable relationship highlights a significant personal contradiction. This hypocrisy adds complexity to her character, making her a flawed yet deeply human protagonist.

Season 5: Episode "England"

Liverpool and London

In Season 5, Episode "England," the Fox family travels to Liverpool, where Phil grew up. Phil reconnects with her old friend Ben and begins working in his pub, suggesting a close but ambiguously defined relationship. The nature of their bond—whether romantic or platonic—is left unclear, but their deep connection is evident. Meanwhile, Max chooses to rent a spare room in her cousin's flat in London, symbolising her search for independence and a new start.

Max's Abortion and Transition

At the beginning of Season 5, Max undergoes an abortion, a decision that profoundly affects her sense of direction. Her move to London represents a physical and emotional escape from her past, reflecting her state of being lost and her desire to forge a new path.

Sam's Reaction

Sam is visibly shocked by Max and Phil's decisions. While she ultimately accepts their choices, she also warns them about the implications of their new paths. Sam’s acceptance of their decisions, despite her initial shock, underscores her evolving understanding of her daughters' needs and the complexities of their individual journeys.

Additional Topics

There are many other aspects of Better Things worth discussing, including Sam’s complex relationship with her brother, the differing treatment of Sam and her brother by Phil, Sam’s lingering sexual feelings towards women

Favourite Episodes

Season 1: My favourite episode from Season 1 is "Future Fever." This episode brilliantly captures the anxieties and uncertainties of looking forward to what the future holds, something I deeply relate to at my age.

Season 2: Season 2 is packed with standout episodes. "September," "Phil," "Eulogy," "Arnold Hall," "White Rock," and "Graduation" each left a significant impact on me, particularly with how they delve into family bonds, loss, and personal growth.

Season 3: "The Unknown" from Season 3 is a personal favourite. The way it explores the concept of the unknown in both literal and metaphorical senses is profound and moving.

Season 4: Season 4 offers several favourites: "She’s Fifty," "DNA," "New Orleans," "High Man Bye Man," "Fathers Day," and "Batcenera." Each episode in this season highlights crucial moments in Sam’s life and the lives of her daughters, making them incredibly memorable.

Season 5: The final season has gems like "Fuck Anatoly's Mom," "Ephemera," "The World is Mean Right Now," "England," and "We Are Not Alone." These episodes beautifully wrap up the series, with poignant reflections on life, legacy, and the ties that bind us.

Personal Reflection

Watching as an 18/19-Year-Old: Watching Better Things as an 18, nearly 19-year-old was a reflective experience. At the start of the series, Max (Mikey Madison) is 15, Frankie (Hannah Alligood) is 11, and Duke (Olivia Edward) is 8. Being older than each character in Season 1 allowed me to see my younger self in their struggles and growth. By the end of the show, each character has aged by five years, mirroring my own transition into adulthood. This passage of time made me more appreciative of the subtleties of growing up and the challenges of navigating relationships with family, especially in light of Sam’s complex and flawed character.